The instant invention relates to floor mats and more particularly to a novel construction for a nonskid antifatigue floor mat of the type used in industrial and commercial applications, particularly in wet and/or greasy areas.
A wide variety of floor mats of the above type have heretofore been available for the above applications, and in this connection, certain qualities have been found to be desirable in well-designed floor mats. In particular, floor mats of this type should be designed so that water and other liquids effectively drain from the walking surfaces thereof to provide firm nonskid walking surfaces when used in wet and/or greasy areas. They should also be designed so that they resist creeping and remain in place even when used on wet or greasy surfaces. Further, well designed mats of this type must be flexible enough so that they conform to uneven floor surfaces and they must be made of materials which ae resistant to oil and/or chemicals, particularly those found in commercial kitchens. Preferably, mats of this type should also be at least slightly resiliently flexible to provide a cushionig effect for fatigue relief for those walking thereon and to reduce breakage of items dropped thereon, such as glasses and the like. In addition to all of these qualities, well designed floor mats should be durable enough to withstand frequent handling and folding, but nevertheless light enough so that they can easily be moved for cleaning.
The most common types of heretofore available floor mats have comprised a base made of a chemically resistant rubberized material having a plurality of spaced apertures therethrough, a plurality of raised rings or bosses which extend slightly upwardly around the peripheries of the upper ends of the apertures, and a plurality of rounded knobs which extend downwardly from the base. The raised rings provide scraping surfaces on the mat for a nonskid effect, while the rounded knobs maintain the mat in upwardly spaced relation when it is positioned on a supporting surface to allow drainage therefrom. In use the scraping surfaces of the mat remain relatively clean and dry and engage the soles of the shoes of persons working thereon to provide a nonskid walking surface. The knobs on the underside of the mat maintain the base in upwardly spaced relation to the supporting surface so that water and grease can effectively drain therefrom. Unfortunately, mats of this type have been less than fully effective for several reasons. In particular, the rings or bosses which are utilized to provide a scraping effect are inherently weak and tend to wear quickly. While mats of this type should be rugged enough to last for several years, it has been found that the scraping rings thereof frequently become worn or damaged after only a few months thereby causing substantial reductions in the effectiveness thereof to provide nonskid surfaces. It has also been found that mats of this type tend to creep on supportng surfaces, particularly when subjected to heavy traffic because of the rounded configurations of the supporting knobs. Most mats of this type have also been relatively heavy in their constructions weighing approximately 2.5 pounds per square foot, and as a result of National Sanitation Foundation standards which limit the weights of mats of this type to 40 pounds, they have been limited to the maximum sizes approximately of 16 square feet.
The instant invention provides a novel mat construction which overcomes many of the disadvantages of the heretofore known floor mats. In this regard, the floor mat construction of the instant invention comprises a rubberized base having a plurality of apertures therethrough and a plurality of feet which maintain the base in upwardly spaced relation when it is positioned on a supporting surface. In contrast to the heretofore known mat constructions, however, the apertures in the base are formed so that the upper portions thereof are substantially hexagonal and they are disposed in adjacent offset rows of aligned apertures wherein each of the sides of the hexagonal upper portions of the apertures define common walls with the adjacent sides of the hexagonal upper portions of adjacent apertures so that the apertures cooperate to define a honeycomb-like configuration in the upper portion of the base. This honeycomb-like configuration provides a nonskid effect in the mat of the instant invention, the edges of the hexagonal upper portions of the apertures providing scraping surfaces which replace the rings or bosses of the heretofore known mat constructions. The elimination of raised rings or bosses in the mat construction of the instant invention makes its substantially more durable for a long lasting nonskid effect. Further, the hexagonal honeycomb-like structure defined by the apertures is structurally efficient whereby mats constructed in accordance herewith may be constructed with substantially reduced weights per unit area. The feet which are formed on the underside of the base of the mat of the instant invention also represent a significant improvement over the previously known mat constructions. In this regard, the feet are formed in an elongated, preferably barbell-like configuration and have substantially flat bottom surfaces. The feet are positioned so that adjacent feet are in spaced relation and at angles of approximately 60.degree. with each other. As a result of the configuration of the feet and the relative positions thereof, they provide a positive supporting structure for the base which is resistant to creep, but which nevertheless permits the base portion to be more elevated with respect to the supporting surface thereby permitting more effective drainage.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the instant invention to provide a durable nonskid floor mat construction.
Another object of the instant invention is to provide an effective nonskid floor mat construction which does not include raised bosses or rings for scraping surfaces.
A further object of the instant invention is to provide an effective nonskid floor mat construction of reduced weight per unit mat area.
A still further object of the instant invention is to provide a nonskid floor mat construction which is resistive to creep.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawing.